Personal Information
Name: Sara
Age: 26
Personal LJ: sandpuppeteer
Email / AIM / MSN: sandpuppeteer@gmail.com / CrawfordSands

Character Information
Character Name: Balthazar
Fandom: Constantine
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_(film)

Character History: Balthazar's history is long and complicated. Unfortunately, not much is known of it. He was human at one time, as all demons had been. But long ago when civilization had a completely different shape and isolated in scattered pockets around the globe. After finding himself in Hell, he didn't twist and writhe with the other sinners. No, he seized the opportunity and rose through the ranks. High enough that he could slip out of Hell when he felt the need.

At some point, he crossed paths with an angel on the verge of falling. The less than sane Gabriel presented him with the opportunity he needed to raise his rank even further. The angel wanted to punish humanity and weed out those worth of God's love by bringing Hell to earth. Expanding his boss' domain would earn him some points so he filled in a few gaps in the plan and began his partnership with the angel.

They worked well together, in the years it took to piece it all together. They needed just the right medium. Just the right tools. It seemed to all be coming together, gathering in LA. That is, until a nosy little exorcist decided to start investigating the death of a woman at a mental hospital. An irritating little thorn in Balthazar's side that refused to just roll over and die. So like he'd done with previous encounters, he employed some of his innate abilities to demoralize Constantine. Kill a few friends. That always did the trick.

Alas, he ended up pushing it a little too far. He shoved the exorcist past depression into righteous anger and found himself at the business end of a holy shotgun, blessed brass knuckles and one well-aimed prayer. Through such torture, he was forced to give up the one detail the bastard needed to stop the whole deal, even if he had hand-delivered the psychic girl to them.

After being blown away, Balthazar clung to his half-human shell. The angel, his accomplice, finished the job in dispatching him back to Hell. Even though he had been far more successful than the little God-slave so far. While the demon lurked below, the entire plan unraveled and Mammon, the son of the devil, was none to pleased. It is assumed that since the angel remained on earth as a human, Mammon turned to the only one involved that he could get his claws on. However, after an untold amount of time in the fire pits, the demon found himself in a newly minted body, though the same model as the last, dropped into a new and strange city.

Character Personality: Cold. Calculating. Chillingly confident. He possesses all the usual features one might expect in a demon. He loves everything there is to love about being evil. Though he won't outright show it, because that would be painting a target on his chest. At least, in the world he's from. He takes great joy in corrupting people, especially those who would seem uncorruptible, with a certain taste for priests, exorcists and their accomplices.

He is not above taking up with unlikely partners to execute complex plans. Angels, humans, anyone who might further his task. Not that he'd ever trust them. They don't trust him, so why should things be any different on his side? Besides, it has nothing to do with trust. Trust leads to sloppy mistakes. If one were to always be suspicious of their cohorts, they never let their guard down.

Though he may enjoy being evil, he does not particularly enjoy the setting which spawned such a thing. Hell is full of disgusting, writhing beasts, everything overflowing with slime, blood and excrement, severed heads, limbs and other such body parts strung about like so many Christmas decorations. He would much rather prefer a clean setting, a sharp suit and a landscape free of rot.

He prefers solitude, most of the time. Working alone and from the shadows is best. Other villains seemed to feel the need to make themselves known, boast about their goals and bring attention to themselves. Sure, he had his tendencies to gloat from time to time, but in a much more private matter. Such as having his arch enemy struggling to breathe under his crushing grasp. But only when victory was so close he could touch it. Until then, he would much rather manipulate the strings from the background. Whisper a suggestion the right ear. And allow everyone else to take the heat.


Powers: All the powers he possesses are inherently unholy and can be resisted or dispelled with the right holy tools or temperament.
- Fly swarm: Can turn into massive swarm of black insects.
- Suggestion: Can get inside people's head and plant suggestions that seem like their own thoughts.
- Illusion: A side effect of the above, he can make people see things and make them believe they are real. With a tendency of making nightmares a reality.
- Control: If so inclined, he can push suggestion much further and force people to do things. This however is a great deal more difficult.
- Telepathy: A less stealth variation on suggestions, he can simply speak directly to a person in their mind.
- Fire resistance: part of being from Hell means he can't be hurt by heat or flame, though his swanky clothes can.
- Technically, his body is little more than an illusion. Getting hit with holy water forces it to become his true, demonic body. However, the body is very much physical, and as much as he despises it, it is half human to keep it rooted in the physical plane.


Samples
First person:
[ The voice is smooth with a note of condescension. ]

Though I do appreciate the...hospitality of this city it seems to be rather lacking in several aspects. Should this be the work of any specific entity, I would appreciate that which was taken from me to be returned in a timely manner.

Business aside, though I do prefer tidy quarters compared to what I have known in the past, even I find this place to be a little too....white. There is such a thing as being TOO clean.


Third Person: Balthazar stepped out of the building and paused to straighten his tie. As always, his suit was immaculate. Sure, he could have gone for the black one. But coupled with his slicked back hair and bright red tie, it would make for the wrong impression. Tone it down a little with a charcoal gray ensemble and people think first of someone sitting in on office arguing with clients all day, not someone out to corrupt people. Then again, there were those who saw a suit and assumed lawyer. That he was fine with, as well. Lawyers, though their own breed of evil, had a rather drawn out process to it. All that red tape and legalities. It was a slow, easily avoided sort of evil. The sort he preferred was far more subtle, and vastly more effective.

If only he could use it. Since arriving, he'd felt cut off from something. Nothing physical, and not shut off completely. But more like a glass pane now separated him from that which he prided himself in. All of the introductory material and feedback suggested it was a matter of willpower. Such a concept was not foreign to him, as his abilities were already an extension of his own will. And used to over-ride the will of others. Focus he also had no qualms with. It was the time portion which bothered him. Not that he didn't have the patients, but he felt exposed with out his favored escape route available to him. He couldn't turn attentions away from him, or manipulate anyone but through carefully chosen words.

He didn't allow this small worry to break his stride as he made his way down the street. A gold coin flipped lazily across the backs of his fingers as he walked. Perhaps this slight waiting period would work to his benefit. If he were not tempted to use his powers--and he did so enjoy giving in to temptation--there would be nothing to detect. No treachery. No evil. How many could he convince he was nothing more than human? Earn their trust. And should his abilities return to him in full, it would be so much easier to see them writhing under the illusion of their own nightmares.

A faint smile touched his lips at this idea. Yes, this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

Johnny Boy. As much as we all love knowing what you and your boyfriend get up to in that giant stack of kindling you cower in, do please try to keep these things to yourself when the dreams are upon us. There ARE children here, after all.

If you are a member of Trial By Fire, please remove this journal.

Avari, since you did not have a chance to try the hot tub you had been so interested in, would you care to join me? I find myself with a fair amount of time on my hands with the city's population vanished and wouldn't mind the company.

Well, that was certainly a fun diversion. I would much rather have the people back, though. An unpopulated city of this size grows dull after some time. At the very least, I have acquired myself a decently sized wardrobe.

I wonder what happened to Johnny Boy, he's been awfully quiet since his return after his rather dramatic exit.

In honor of recent events, I will be hosting a party. Adults only, please. I do not intend to run a baby sitting service. What I do intend is to show you depraved folks just what this city has to offer.

Follow your maps to my location and make your way to the top floor.

This is an arrangement I can live with.

It appears even more have left us. Among them that misguided child. Another one gone out of shame?

Apart from the useless crying over those who have gone, this place has been painfully quiet. I wonder if it is a true lull or if it is merely the eye of the storm.

[ Locked to Angela ]

The one called Aaron seems to be under duress. It would not do to have him so upset when he seems the main force behind the Eatery. Could you be so kind as to offer him comfort?

You have fallen quiet as of late. I do hope your threats were more than just scare tactics as everyone seems to say.

However, it has come to my attention that you truly are the force behind this place. Not many can shake Lucifer quite so deeply.

I have a proposition for you. A deal.

I am grotesquely limited in this halfbreed form, while the God-slaves walk the earth without limitations. Grant me access to my full power, and I will be your servant, your soldier, whichever term you prefer.

It appears as though the hypocritical angel has metaphorically flow the coop.

Could it be she fled in fear? Or was it shame?

[ He sounds very, VERY irritated, and so very back to normal. ]

Angela. You still have my clothes. You WILL return them.





(ooc: Yup, he's still only wearing pants--back to pinstripes, though. His clothes just changed color was all.)

[ Locked to Raphael and Gabriel // Moderate ]

It has come to my attention that the Beast has had a stronger negative effect on our friend Michael than I had not realized until today. Having not been here long, I implore you: How has this happened and what can we do to see it is undone?

I apologize if this is a little too...improper. But Ms. Angela, I seem to have misplaced a majority of my clothing. Thank you so very much for offering me shelter, but when I awoke I discovered the clothes I had removed to have gone missing. I was wondering if perhaps you relocated them to somewhere I did not think to look? You were sleeping so peacefully, I did not wish to disturb you.

Should they have been irreversibly misplaced, might anyone have a shirt or perhaps shoes I might borrow?

[ooc: Anyone who's seen Angel-Bal today would have found him wearing only a pair of white slacks and nothing else. ]

[ He sounds a great deal less sinister than normal. In fact, he sounds quite worried. ]

I don't mean to trouble anyone, but could someone perhaps provide me with information of what is going on here? There is much I must do, but it would be best if I had some bearings on this world I've come to.

With the recent improvements in the weather, the public garden seems to have flourished. It would be a real shame if anything happened to it. Young plants are so very sensitive to things like fire and disease.

The rules for this one are the same.

Whoever makes the best offer will be given access to incriminating video of a certain pair of gentlemen who claim residence in World's End.

However, there is a second level. If you would like to know who it pertains to, you must offer something, as well. This one, I will trade only information for this piece.

[ Locked to Alex Shepherd and Tom Hanniger // Difficult to Hack ]

[ Insert a photo of the two of them all cuddly in bed, the night they were oh-so drunk with creeper Balthazar outside the window. ]

Now. Wasn't that an interesting little show?

The fog was a might disappointing as I would have preferred an unobstructed view of everything, but we were all treated to broadcasts of last night's events. Which is an added bonus.

Over all, I would say an 8 out of 10.

It's time to play a little game.

It would appear everyone's favorite Divine Host, Gabriel, has been keeping secrets from everyone.

The rules of the game are simple. Offer me something. Anything. Information, objects, money, deeds to large plots of land. If I like what you offer, I'll share all of her dirty little secrets with you.

Don't be shy. There can be MANY winners.

Oh, this is an quaint little town, isn't it?